


Cold Hands, Warm Heart

by enigma731



Series: The 12 Days of Chris Muss [2]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Sharing Body Heat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 06:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12929874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigma731/pseuds/enigma731
Summary: When Peter gets cold -- which is always -- he likes to steal body heat from Gamora.





	Cold Hands, Warm Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 12 Days of Starmora on tumblr!

1.

“How are you not cold?” asks Peter, glancing over at Gamora in the fading light.

She’s still sleeveless and apparently comfortable, despite the fact that it’s nearly nightfall, and Berhert’s temperature is dropping rapidly. Really they probably ought to call it a night as far as working on the Milano, but they’re _so close_ to being done with patching the hull, and he’s still way too full of energy to rest besides.

She looks back at him and shrugs. “I am not cold.”

He shakes his head, shivering and rubbing his hands together, like warming them up might make the rest of him feel better. Sometimes he’s pretty sure that he’s been cold every day since leaving Earth, and it’s definitely one of his biggest pet peeves. “Yeah, I got that part. But _how_?”

“My biology is well-matched to a wide range of conditions,” says Gamora, but then her expression turns to one of concern as she sees what he’s doing. “If you are too cold, then you should go in--”

Peter doesn’t give her the chance to finish that suggestion, though, because he’s noticed the way the uneven hem of her shirt’s started to ride up while she worked. Quickly closing the distance between them, he rests his chilly palms against her skin, grinning as he soaks up the warmth that’s practically radiating off of her. “Nah, this works good.”

Gamora jumps, making an undignified little noise of surprise, but she can’t entirely hide her smile. “I am not going to get any work done like this, Peter.”

“Hmm.” He shifts his hands around to her hips, feigning deep thought for a moment. “Guess we’ll both just have to go inside, then.”

On second thought, the rest of the repairs can wait.

2.

One surprise about dating -- and _that_ particular word still feels alien in her mouth -- a Terran is that Gamora finds herself constantly equal parts concerned for his physical well-being and amazed at his obliviousness to his lack thereof.

It’s not like she didn’t _know_ that Peter had physiological needs different from her own -- more specific, certainly. More _sensitive_ , though it’s not like he’ll ever admit that. Still, she’d kept those worries tightly boxed up in the corner of her mind she does her best to forget. Now, that’s not so easy.

“Are you cold again?” she asks, watching as he rubs his hands together, blowing on them. Knowhere’s market of dubious legitimacy is excellent for finding supplies at good prices, but certainly doesn’t boast the most hospitable conditions. 

“No,” he lies unconvincingly, stuffing his hands under his armpits.

“Perhaps while we’re here, you could buy some more practical gloves,” she suggests. Moving to stand in front of him, she runs her hands down his arms until he relaxes them to his sides again, showing her the stylish-but-ineffective fingerless gloves he’s wearing as usual.

Peter looks down at his own hands, and for a moment, Gamora thinks that he might agree with her. But then a wicked grin works its way across his face, and he pulls her in by the waist, stuffing his fingers into her back pockets. “Why would I do that when I can do this?”

Gamora huffs out a sigh and shakes her head, but she doesn’t have the heart to disagree.

3.

“You know,” Peter whines, “for a person who’s practically a furnace, you steal the blankets a lot.”

Gamora glances up at him from where she’s reading her holo in what’s basically a cocoon of sheets on her side of the bed. “You sleep through it. And most other things.”

He blinks, wondering for a moment what exactly those _other things_ might then deciding that’s not the point. Yawning broadly, he stretches and rolls over to see her better. From the looks of it, she’s already been awake for quite awhile. “Not the point.”

She shrugs. “If you sleep through it, how is it harming you?”

“I’m _cold_ ,” he says petulantly, though he can’t bring himself to _really_ be annoyed with her. For the amount of time and energy he’s spent fantasizing about sharing a bed with Gamora, this is a small price to pay. 

“You are always cold,” she says placidly.

“Do you have any idea how much it sucks to wake up cold?” Now he’s just complaining for the sake of complaining, but he _kind of_ wants to see what it might earn him.

“No,” she answers, without looking up. Apparently she’s really engrossed in whatever it is she’s reading.

“Oh,” says Peter. “Maybe I can help with that.” Rolling over, he tugs the blankets off of her, tucking his cold feet under her legs and pressing his nose to the side of her neck.

She hisses in surprise, but stubbornly doesn’t pull away. “Oh. Thank you for enlightening me.”

He snorts, kissing her jaw. “See, _I_ know how to share.”

+1

Gamora knows what the dream was about as soon as Peter jolts awake.

He’s shivering violently, teeth chattering though their quarters are perfectly warm as always. She knows that he’s reliving those moments of floating helplessly in space, trapped between the ghosts of two dead fathers -- one a specter, the other a savior. It’s been weeks, yet the dream still comes every few days.

“Peter,” she breathes, switching the lights on and reaching for him. She doesn’t doubt her ability to provide comfort in these moments anymore, practically has the whole thing down to routine.

“I’m okay,” he mumbles, though his breath’s coming in choked little gasps and there are tears in his eyes. 

“Yeah,” she agrees, meaning _safe_ more than _really okay_. “Yeah, you are.” 

Gamora wraps herself around him, takes his hands in hers and presses her lips to his forehead until he’s steady again. 

_Warm_ is not something she has ever considered herself to be. But for Peter, she thinks, she is willing to learn.


End file.
